The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Iohnson citizen and apothecarye of London

¶ The Description.

1 THe Larch is a tree of no small height, with a body growing straight vp: the bark wher∣of in the nether part beneath the boughes is thicke, rugged, and full of chinks; which being cut in sunder is red within, and in the other part aboue smooth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, some∣thing whitewithout: it bringeth forth many boughes diuided into other lesser branches, which be tough and pliable. The leaues are small, and cut into many iags, growing in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thicke toge∣ther like tassels, which fall away at the approch of Winter: the floures or rather the first shewes of the cones or fruit be round, and grow out of the tenderest boughes, being at the length of a braue red purple colour: the cones be small, and like almost in bignesse to those of the Cypresse tree, but longer, and made vp of a multitude of thin scales like leaues: vnder which lie small seeds, hauing a thin 〈◊〉〈◊〉 growing on them very like to the wings of Bees and wasps: the substance of the wood is very hard, of colour, especially that in the midst, somewhat red, and very profitable for workes of long continuance.

[illustration]

1 Laricis ramulus. A branch of the Larch tree.

[illustration]

2 Larix cum Agarico suo. The Larch tree with his Agarick.

It is not true that the wood of the Larch tree tree cannot be set on fire, as Vitruvius reporteth of the castle made of Larch wood, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 besieged, for it burneth in chimneies, and is turned in∣to coles, which are very profitable for Smithes, as Matthiolus writeth.

There is also gathered of the Larch tree a liquid Rosin, very like in colour and substance to the whiter hony, as that of Athens or of Spaine, which notwithstanding issueth not forth of it selfe, but runneth out of the stocke of the tree, when it hath been bored euen to the heart with a great and long auger and wimble.

Galen writeth, that there be after a sort two kindes hereof, in his 4. booke of Medicines, accor∣ding to the kinds, one like vnto Turpentine, the other more sharper than this, hotter, more liquid

of a stronger smell, and in taste bitterer and hotter: but the later is thought not to be the Rosine of the Larch, but of the Fir-tree, which Galen because it is after a sort like in substance, might haue ta∣ken for that of the Larch tree.

There groweth also vpon the Larch tree a kinde of Mushrum or excrescence, not such as is vpon other trees, but whiter, softer, more loose and spungie than any other of the Mushrums, and good for medicine, which beareth the name of Agaricus, or Agaricke: I find that Pliny supposeth all the Masticke trees, and those that beare Galls, do bring forth this Agaricum: wherein he was somewhat deceiued, and especially in that he took Glandifera for Conifera, that is, those trees which beare mast or Acornes, for the Pine apple trees: but among all the trees that beare Agaricus, the Larch is the chiefe, and bringeth most plenty of Agarick.